5th World Water Forum held in Istanbul
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The urban water consumption that is said to be the reason for water shortage is not even 16% of the water usage in Turkey and Northern Kurdistan in total. It is the monopolies and the states, which are the people’s enemy, that use water inattentively and try to make the people not be able to use this right and that are proposed as to be the ones realising the solving plan of the World Water Forum.

01 April 2009 /International Bulletin / Issue: 80

 

The 5th World Water Forum was held in Istanbul on March 16th-21st. The World Water Forum claiming to gather so that "the world won't remain without water" and "to find solutions for the water crisis on earth" is actually a forum that is hold by the monopolies, that are the main reason for the water shortage for the working class and labourers, to plunder, commercialize and seize water.
The UN, that defined water as a "right" in the ‘70ies, started to define it as a "need" in the ‘90ies when neoliberal politics reached their peak. The water problem was handled as a business question and dealt with from this point of view, and the politics to privatise water were promoted, disregarding water as "public service". The United Nations' Conference on Water and Environment held in Dublin in 1992 defined water as an "economical possession". The World Bank introduced to commercialize and privatise water services as the precondition of infrastructure credits. The General Agreement on Trades in Services, which is of the founding treaties of the WTO, planned the privatisation of water services and sources. The right to run water businesses and to privatise water distribution were among the preconditions for IMF credits.
These imperialist water politics that are carried out through certain imperialist international organisations such as the UN, WB, WTO and IMF were centralised with the foundation of World Water Council in 1996. This council consisting of different states as well as the imperialists' organisations with international status such as the UN and WB and water and energy companies started to organise the World Water Forums every three years. Since 1997, five forums have been organised in Morocco, the Netherlands, Japan, Mexico and Istanbul.
The main "solution plan" focused on at the forums by the World Water Council includes the ideas that the waste during water production comes from the fact that the price of water is less than the water production costs, that the populist politics of the state and local authorities are not able to solve the problem, and that because of this reason, the private sector must be included to the water production and distribution. The World Water Council Governor Loic Fauchon once said: "There will be no problem if people contemplate to pay for their water bill the same as they do for their mobile bill or at least 5% of the petrol for their car. So the World Water Forum says that "the water problem will be solved by increasing the water prices and privatising water". However, the urban water consumption that is said to be the reason for water shortage is not even 16% of the water usage in Turkey and Northern Kurdistan in total. It is the monopolies and the states, which are the people's enemy, that use water inattentively and try to make the people not be able to use this right and that are proposed as to be the ones realising the solving plan of the World Water Forum.
While yet 5% of the water in the world has been privatised, the yearly profit coming from the water industry comes to 1 trillion $. And this is the reason; the Istanbul Water Forum is held with the aim to privatise water sources. Regarding the effects for Turkey, it is actually enough to remind of the following: Water costs in every country at which the forum was organised so far have increased 5-6 times.
Turkey is a country that is not rich of water but for which the water sources in the country are enough. And this is what lures the monopolies to Istanbul. The Turkish state is quite eager to privatise water. 13% of the members of the World Water Forum are from Turkey. The two main water businesses ISKI (Istanbul Administration for Water and Canalisation) and DSİ (State's Water Business) are members of the forum, too. In the last years water distribution has been privatised at different councils. Agricultural watering was taken away from the DSI and Village Services Institution and handed over to companies. Following the pushes of the WB and IMF, similar steps have been taken so far.
The 5th World Water Forum joined by 20.000 people including the presidents and ministers from 180 countries was hosted by President Abdullah Gul. The ideas that were promoted at the forum in Istanbul are reflected in the statement of the World Water Council Governor Fauchon: "We have to know that the easy water period is over. All countries have to do concerning water whatever their duty is". The peak of the forum were the statements of the Minister of Environment and Forests Veysel Eroglu, who said that the forum isn't to be identified with the privatisation of water, and the Undersecretary for Environment and Forests Hasan Z. Sarikaya announcing that the state has started with the activities to give security to the private sector. Both statements were contradiction each other.


Workers and labourers on the streets for their right to water
The 5th World Water Forum was organised under the pressure of the workers and labourers struggling for their right to water. The Platform No to Commercialize Water, founded by unions, professional associations, environmental organisations and progressive and revolutionary political parties and platforms, organised many protest actions in front of ISKI, DSI and the councils as well as at different centres of the city. These actions at which the slogans "Water belongs to the people and can't be sold" and "No to the World Water Forum" were especially raised continued with a mass rally.
On March 15, a rally was organised at Kadikoy Square, Istanbul, at which the Platform No to Commercialize Water opened a banner read "Water belongs to the people and can't be sold" in 13 different languages. In the speeches made at the rally it was said that the platform totally rejects the 5th World Water Forum aiming at making water an economical possession and continued by stressing: "We will demand an account from those who are responsible for the sale of water sources and water services in Turkey to companies." On March16 the platform members organised a march to Sutluce Congress and Cultural Centre where the forum was held. The protesters were attacked by the police with pepper gas and pressurised water. 26 people were arrested. Again on March 16, Ann Kathrin Schneider and Payal Parekh, both activists of the International Rivers, were arrested and deported after having opened a banner on the World Water Forum's opening ceremony on which it said: "No risky dams".
Besides many actions, the Platform No to Commercialize Water organised an Alternative Water Forum from March 19-20. In its final statement it was said that the World Water Forum isn't legitimized, furthermore, the decisions to make water becoming a topic of trade agreements were condemned and demands listed up including water to be accepted as a public product and ensuring people and living creatures to have access to clean water.
While the imperialists' control on water sources and inner conflicts have increased, the continuity of the protest actions for the right to water lasting from the protests at the forum in Mexico in 2006 to Istanbul has shown that the working class and labourers' struggle for defending their right to water is growing, too.

 

 

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5th World Water Forum held in Istanbul
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The urban water consumption that is said to be the reason for water shortage is not even 16% of the water usage in Turkey and Northern Kurdistan in total. It is the monopolies and the states, which are the people’s enemy, that use water inattentively and try to make the people not be able to use this right and that are proposed as to be the ones realising the solving plan of the World Water Forum.

01 April 2009 /International Bulletin / Issue: 80

 

The 5th World Water Forum was held in Istanbul on March 16th-21st. The World Water Forum claiming to gather so that "the world won't remain without water" and "to find solutions for the water crisis on earth" is actually a forum that is hold by the monopolies, that are the main reason for the water shortage for the working class and labourers, to plunder, commercialize and seize water.
The UN, that defined water as a "right" in the ‘70ies, started to define it as a "need" in the ‘90ies when neoliberal politics reached their peak. The water problem was handled as a business question and dealt with from this point of view, and the politics to privatise water were promoted, disregarding water as "public service". The United Nations' Conference on Water and Environment held in Dublin in 1992 defined water as an "economical possession". The World Bank introduced to commercialize and privatise water services as the precondition of infrastructure credits. The General Agreement on Trades in Services, which is of the founding treaties of the WTO, planned the privatisation of water services and sources. The right to run water businesses and to privatise water distribution were among the preconditions for IMF credits.
These imperialist water politics that are carried out through certain imperialist international organisations such as the UN, WB, WTO and IMF were centralised with the foundation of World Water Council in 1996. This council consisting of different states as well as the imperialists' organisations with international status such as the UN and WB and water and energy companies started to organise the World Water Forums every three years. Since 1997, five forums have been organised in Morocco, the Netherlands, Japan, Mexico and Istanbul.
The main "solution plan" focused on at the forums by the World Water Council includes the ideas that the waste during water production comes from the fact that the price of water is less than the water production costs, that the populist politics of the state and local authorities are not able to solve the problem, and that because of this reason, the private sector must be included to the water production and distribution. The World Water Council Governor Loic Fauchon once said: "There will be no problem if people contemplate to pay for their water bill the same as they do for their mobile bill or at least 5% of the petrol for their car. So the World Water Forum says that "the water problem will be solved by increasing the water prices and privatising water". However, the urban water consumption that is said to be the reason for water shortage is not even 16% of the water usage in Turkey and Northern Kurdistan in total. It is the monopolies and the states, which are the people's enemy, that use water inattentively and try to make the people not be able to use this right and that are proposed as to be the ones realising the solving plan of the World Water Forum.
While yet 5% of the water in the world has been privatised, the yearly profit coming from the water industry comes to 1 trillion $. And this is the reason; the Istanbul Water Forum is held with the aim to privatise water sources. Regarding the effects for Turkey, it is actually enough to remind of the following: Water costs in every country at which the forum was organised so far have increased 5-6 times.
Turkey is a country that is not rich of water but for which the water sources in the country are enough. And this is what lures the monopolies to Istanbul. The Turkish state is quite eager to privatise water. 13% of the members of the World Water Forum are from Turkey. The two main water businesses ISKI (Istanbul Administration for Water and Canalisation) and DSİ (State's Water Business) are members of the forum, too. In the last years water distribution has been privatised at different councils. Agricultural watering was taken away from the DSI and Village Services Institution and handed over to companies. Following the pushes of the WB and IMF, similar steps have been taken so far.
The 5th World Water Forum joined by 20.000 people including the presidents and ministers from 180 countries was hosted by President Abdullah Gul. The ideas that were promoted at the forum in Istanbul are reflected in the statement of the World Water Council Governor Fauchon: "We have to know that the easy water period is over. All countries have to do concerning water whatever their duty is". The peak of the forum were the statements of the Minister of Environment and Forests Veysel Eroglu, who said that the forum isn't to be identified with the privatisation of water, and the Undersecretary for Environment and Forests Hasan Z. Sarikaya announcing that the state has started with the activities to give security to the private sector. Both statements were contradiction each other.


Workers and labourers on the streets for their right to water
The 5th World Water Forum was organised under the pressure of the workers and labourers struggling for their right to water. The Platform No to Commercialize Water, founded by unions, professional associations, environmental organisations and progressive and revolutionary political parties and platforms, organised many protest actions in front of ISKI, DSI and the councils as well as at different centres of the city. These actions at which the slogans "Water belongs to the people and can't be sold" and "No to the World Water Forum" were especially raised continued with a mass rally.
On March 15, a rally was organised at Kadikoy Square, Istanbul, at which the Platform No to Commercialize Water opened a banner read "Water belongs to the people and can't be sold" in 13 different languages. In the speeches made at the rally it was said that the platform totally rejects the 5th World Water Forum aiming at making water an economical possession and continued by stressing: "We will demand an account from those who are responsible for the sale of water sources and water services in Turkey to companies." On March16 the platform members organised a march to Sutluce Congress and Cultural Centre where the forum was held. The protesters were attacked by the police with pepper gas and pressurised water. 26 people were arrested. Again on March 16, Ann Kathrin Schneider and Payal Parekh, both activists of the International Rivers, were arrested and deported after having opened a banner on the World Water Forum's opening ceremony on which it said: "No risky dams".
Besides many actions, the Platform No to Commercialize Water organised an Alternative Water Forum from March 19-20. In its final statement it was said that the World Water Forum isn't legitimized, furthermore, the decisions to make water becoming a topic of trade agreements were condemned and demands listed up including water to be accepted as a public product and ensuring people and living creatures to have access to clean water.
While the imperialists' control on water sources and inner conflicts have increased, the continuity of the protest actions for the right to water lasting from the protests at the forum in Mexico in 2006 to Istanbul has shown that the working class and labourers' struggle for defending their right to water is growing, too.